Posts Tagged ‘Medellin’

Ciclovia is a movement that seems to be spreading throughout South America – closing large portions of streets on Sundays to encourage cycling.

Im sure there are some of you out there that think the idea is lame – but I really like it. Its cool to see so many people out there using alternate forms of transportation and getting some exercise while they are at it. So far, we have seen Ciclovia in Medellin, Bogota, and Quito. Bogota closes an impressive 122km of road for bicycles.

Billy and Andreas boda… such a gorgeous couple, and such an awesome wedding. The reception was in a church overlooking all of Medellin, and we rode a chiva over the mountain from the reception to the ceremony.

Let’s start off by saying that Medellin, contrary to popular belief, is not teeming with cocaine and gunshots and Pablo Escobars. I have rarely felt safer than I did there, especially in a metropolis. The city is nestled between two mountain ranges, which makes for some spectacular cityscapes and overlooks. It was absolutely spotless, the weather is perfect, and the people are genuinely kind, happy, and friendly. We spent almost a week in an apartment with some friends that commenced with the best wedding ever (more on that later).

A few highlights…

Panoramic view of the city from a hillside restaurant.

The city is comprised of quite a few smaller neighborhoods, each with their own center square – with lots of bars and restaurants and street vendors. We lucked out and were there during the holidays, so the decor was amazing! The pics above are from an area called Saboneta.

We tried pig snout. Doesn’t taste like much, until you smother it in BBQ sauce. Then it just tastes like chewy BBQ sauce.

Muchisimo thanks to Billy and Andrea for showing us around the city, and congrats again! We’re off tomorrow morning on a jungle trek through Ciudad Perdida – be back on Friday.